- Greetings: In the US we tend to say “Hi, how are you?” but in India they might say “Did you have your lunch?” The common response is “Yes, I had my lunch and it was good.” If you say “No I didn’t have my lunch” then people may get concerned and may want to offer you food. This is very different from American culture. Common mistakes that Indians might make when they answer “how are you?” is that they might give too much information and details when it’s more of a greeting, not a question.
- Asking people where they live: In the US we might ask a general question, like “Where do you live?” but in India they may build on this question and ask “What street do you live on?” “What side of the street do you live on?” but in the US these more specific questions would feel like an invasion of privacy.
- Asking about the person’s relationship or marriage status: In India it’s much more common to ask “Are you married?” If you ask an American this question too early they might think you are romantically interested in them. On the other hand, if this question isn’t asked in India then people may become offended. This is an example of a drastic difference in small talk across cultures!
Clearly, small talk can create problems if don’t look beyond vocabulary and grammar.
We need to look at culture on a deeper level.
What topics are acceptable?
How are certain questions received in different cultures?